The 388th Fighter Wing is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Combat Command Fifteenth Air Force. The unit is stationed at Hill Air Force Base, Utah.
Units 388th Operations Group 4th Fighter Squadron (4 FS) The squadron is the second unit at Hill to transition to the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II after retiring the F-16 in May 2016. It prepares to deploy worldwide to conduct air-to-air and air-to-ground operations for daylight and nighttime missions.
421st Fighter Squadron (421 FS) The squadron conducts flying operations to maintain combat readiness of a 24-aircraft F-16CG squadron. It prepares to deploy worldwide to conduct Day/Night air superiority and precision strike sorties employing laser-guided and inertially aided munitions during contingencies and combat.
34th Fighter Squadron This squadron is the first operational F-35A Lightning II fighter squadron in the world. It was declared combat-ready on 2 August 2016 after transitioning from the F-16 Fighting Falcon in September of the previous year. 388th Range Squadron (388 RANS) The squadron is responsible for weapons and tactics development, operational planning, flying training guidance, intelligence, flight scheduling, mobility, life support activities, and people management for the operations group. The OSS provides combat-related staff support for the entire wing. F-35A Demonstration Team Team flies the USAF's F-35A fighter jet at airshows performing air maneuvers that demonstrate the supermaneuverability of the F-35A. Examples of these demonstrations include the minimum radius turn to high alpha loop, weapons bay door pass, pedal turn, slow speed to power climb and tactical pitch.
388th Operations Support Squadron (388 OSS) The squadron is responsible for weapons and tactics development, operational planning, flying training guidance, intelligence, flight scheduling, mobility, life support activities, and people management for the operations group. The OSS provides combat-related staff support for the entire wing. It comprises the following flights: Intelligence; Aircrew Flight Equipment; Current Operations; and Weapons & Tactics.
388th Maintenance Group (388 MXG) The group comprises different support facets as squadrons and flights. The Munition Maintenance Squadron has many flights, but is primarily responsible for munitions storage, maintenance and delivery. The Munitions Loading Squadron takes responsibility for attaching the delivered munitions to the various aircraft.
History
On 23 November 1953, the 388th Fighter-Bomber Wing was activated as part of Tactical Air Command (TAC). The wing was reactivated following Secretary of State John Foster Dulles' promise to provide NATO with four additional tactical fighter wings to increase its defenses against the Soviet Union due to the outbreak of the Cold War. The 388th Fighter-Interceptor Wing activated as the 388th Fighter-Bomber Group (later renamed 388th Operations Group) and became the wing's primary combat element. The group's squadrons were equipped with North American F-86F Sabres, and training commenced for operational proficiency.
Once training levels for pilots and aircrews had reached operational levels, the 50th began preparations for its move to France. On 12 December 1954, the 388th arrived at its new home, the newly constructed Étain-Rouvres Air Base.McAuliffe, Chapter 11, Etain-Rouvres Air Base
United States Air Forces in Europe
Upon arrival in France in December 1954, the 388th FBW flying elements consisted of the 561st, 562d, and 563d FB Squadrons, each equipped with 26 North American F-86F Sabres. Wing support aircraft consisted of 4 Douglas C-47 Skytrains of various types, one De Havilland Canada L-20 Beaver, and 5 Lockheed T-33 T Birds.
The wing's mission was to train for and conduct tactical nuclear weapons delivery. Its secondary mission was to conduct non-atomic tactical air operations. Upon arrival of 388th Wing Headquarters at Etain, the construction delays and other problems seriously hampered the ability of the Wing to use the base for its flying operations. The 562nd Fighter Bomber Squadron was forced to operate from Spangdahlem Air Base, the 563rd from Bitburg Air Base and the 561st from Hahn Air Base in West Germany for the winter of 1954–55.
In April and May 1955, rotational deployments to Wheelus Air Base, Libya began for their first gunnery and bombing training since their arrival in Europe. In the fall, with enough facilities construction completed, the three flying squadrons were transferred from Germany and took up their home assignment at Étain. In August 1955, First Lt. Philip Ortego was assigned to the 561st Fighter Bomber Squadron as its Intelligence Officer.
On 22 November 1955, Detachment 1, 388th Fighter-Bomber Group was activated at Hahn Air Base to stand nuclear alert with the Wing's F-86s. Personnel and aircraft primarily came from the 561st Squadron. In February 1956 the detachment was transferred to more spacious facilities at Spangdahlem Air Base. Rotational deployments of 8 F-86's and support personnel to Germany continued until the fall of 1957 when the 388th was inactivated.
In the fall of 1956 the 388th began planning for conversion to the North American F-100D Super Sabre Due to the adverse flying conditions at Etain for conversion training, the new aircraft were deployed to Nouasseur Air Base in Morocco, with the squadrons deploying their F-86s to Nouasseur, then returning to France or Spangdahlem in their new F-100s for Zulu Alert duties.
During this transition period, the 388th experienced a significant personnel crisis, with many of its officers and noncomissioned officers completing their two-year unaccompanied tour in France. The personnel problem became worse in the fall of 1957 with many single airmen completing their three years of overseas service and were rotating back to the United States.
The manning issues of the 388th, which has fallen to about 65 percent of authorized strength, along with budget shortfalls led HQ USAFE to inactivate the unit instead of transfer it. On 8 December 1957 HQ USAFE inactivated the 388th, with its and assets being transferred to the 49th Fighter-Bomber Wing, which had been moved from Misawa Air Base, Japan without personnel or equipment.
McConnell Air Force Base In October 1962, the 388th Tactical Fighter Wing was reactivated under TAC. The wing was reorganized at McConnell Air Force Base, Kansas, under the Twelfth Air Force, as a tenant unit under the 4347th Combat Training Wing.
Under TAC, the 388th did not have a fighter group, and the four tactical tighter squadrons (560th, 561st, 562d, 563d) were assigned directly to wing headquarters. The reactivated wing initially flew the North American F-100C Super Sabre, but was replaced in 1963 by the Republic F-105D Thunderchief. On 4 July 1963, it became responsible for the base as the host unit.
The demands of the Vietnam War and escalation of United States involvement in the conflict led TAC to deploy the 388th to Southeast Asia for combat duty. New bases were being established in Thailand, and a permanent organizational structure was needed to accommodate the semi-permanent presence of USAF units at the forward bases. On 8 April 1966, the 388th was relieved of its assignment to TAC and was transferred to Pacific Air Forces. The wing was ordered to Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand, where its F-105 squadrons had been on temporary rotational deployments for the past two years.
Pacific Air Forces
In April 1966 the 388th was sent to Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand where it replaced the 6234th Tactical Fighter Wing and assumed host wing responsibilities at Korat. The mission of the wing was to engage in combat operations over Indochina, conducting interdiction, direct air support, armed reconnaissance, and fighter escort missions.Logan,
During the Vietnam War, numerous units were deployed to and stationed at Korat RTAFB and engaged in combat operations. As part of the rapid buildup of United States forces in Thailand in the mid-1960s, the 388th was the umbrella organization to as many as 34 operating units and about 6,500 USAF airmen. The wing also supported components of the Royal Thai Air Force, and a complement of Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) Bristol Freighters.
The squadrons assigned to the 388th at Korat were: 3rd Tactical Fighter Squadron (Tail Code: JH) A-7D Corsair II, March 1973 – December 1975 7th Airborne Command and Control Squadron (Tail Code: JC) EC-130E Hercules, April 1972 – May 1974 6010th Wild Weasel Squadron: 1 November 1970 (Tail Code: JB) Replaced by the: 17th Wild Weasel Squadron: 1 December 1971 – 15 November 1974 F-105G Thunderchief, November 1970 – December 1974 34th Tactical Fighter Squadron (Tail Code: JJ) F-105D/F Thunderchief, May 1966 – May 1969 F-4E Phantom II, May 1969 – October 1974 F-4D Phantom II, October 1974 – December 1975 42d Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron (Tail Code: JV) EB-66C/E Destroyer, September 1970 – January 1974 44th Tactical Fighter Squadron (Tail Code: JE) F-105D/F Thunderchief, April 1967 – November 1970 F-4E Phantom II, December 1970 – December 1975 469th Tactical Fighter Squadron (Tail Code: JV) F-105D/F Thunderchief, August 1966 – November 1969 F-4E Phantom II, November 1969 – October 1972 553d Reconnaissance Squadron (no tail code) EC-121R Constellation, December 1970 – December 1971 Detachment 1, 561st Tactical Fighter Squadron (Tail Code: WW) F-105G Thunderchief, February 1973 – September 1973
In mid-1968 it was decided to make the 388th an F-4 Wing, and also to equip the 388th with the new F-4E and the F-105s would be transferred to the 355th Tactical Fighter Wing at Takhli Royal Thai Air Force Base. The main difference with the F-4E model was the addition of an internal M61 cannon. The F-4C and D models previously in use had shown some serious drawbacks in the initial air-to-air battles over Vietnam. The earlier AIM-7 Sparrow, AIM-4 Falcon, and AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missiles did not perform up to expectations. They were expensive, unreliable, and vulnerable to countermeasures. The Phantoms could carry a podded cannon mounted on the centerline, but it was relatively inaccurate, caused excessive drag which reduced the performance of the Phantom carrying it, and took up a valuable ordnance/fuel station.
On 17 November 1968, an F-4E Phantom squadron from Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, replaced the single-seat F-105E Thunderchiefs of the 469th. The new Phantom squadron, the first E-models in Thailand, retained the designation 469th Tactical Fighter Squadron.
In January 1969, the wing sought a new assignment. Proliferating antiaircraft defenses in the Barrel Roll area in the Kingdom of Laos were making operations ever riskier for Slow Forward Air Controllers (FAC) such as the Raven FACs. Volunteers from the 469th Tactical Fighter Squadron were approved for Fast FAC duty under the call sign "Tiger" in February. On 18 March, the volunteer FACs began flying a single daily sortie. By July, they were so immersed in directing close air support, they were allotted four sorties per day. They supplied the necessary tactical air power for General Vang Pao's Hmong guerrillas to sweep through Operation Raindance.Rowley, pp. 193–94. Among the benefits of strike and FAC units being co-located was the Hunter-Killer Team concept fostered by "Tiger" FACs. Strike aircraft could be directed by FACs, or the flight leader could take over the air strike after being led to the target.Schlight, pp. 29–30.
On 10 May 1969, the 34th Tactical Fighter Squadron was reassigned to the 347th Tactical Fighter Wing at Yokota Air Base, Japan, but it remained attached to the 388th at Korat. It was re-equipped with F-4Es on 5 July. On 15 May 1969, the F-105-equipped 44th Tactical Fighter Squadron was reassigned to the 355th Wing .